Reduced Energy Consumption in Plastics Engineering RECIPE EIE/04/153/S07.38646 Final Project Results EIE/04/153/S07.38646 RECIPE 2 EIE/04/153/S07.38646 RECIPE Name of Project Reduced Energy Consumption in Plastics Engineering Project Acronym RECIPE Contract Number EIE/04/153/S07.38646 Project Duration January 2005 – December 2007 Project Value €894,376.00 Project Coordinator Smithers Rapra Technology Ltd Shawbury, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY4 4NR, UK Project Website www.eurecipe.com This report provides details of the results of the RECIPE project and has been prepared by Smithers Rapra using information provided by the project partners. The sole responsibility for the content of this report lies with the authors. It does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the European Communities. The European Commission is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein. 3 EIE/04/153/S07.38646 RECIPE Table of Contents Table of Contents..................................................................................................................................... 4 Summary.................................................................................................................................................... 6 Achieved Results ............................................................................................................................. 6 Lessons Learnt .................................................................................................................................. 7 About RECIPE............................................................................................................................................ 8 Why ‘RECIPE’? ................................................................................................................................. 8 The Objectives................................................................................................................................. 9 The Partners...................................................................................................................................... 9 Work Programme ................................................................................................................................... 11 Benchmarking ........................................................................................................................................ 13 Benchmarking Energy Use in Plastics Processing.......................................................................... 13 2005 Benchmarking Survey of Energy Consumption and Adoption of Best Practice ....... 13 Companies taking part ........................................................................................................... 13 Specific Energy Consumption (SEC)...................................................................................... 14 Cost of Energy and Fuels Used ............................................................................................... 15 Energy Awareness .................................................................................................................... 16 The Deliverable.............................................................................................................................. 18 Best Practice ........................................................................................................................................... 19 Best Practice for Low Energy Plastics Processing.......................................................................... 19 Review of Energy Management Practices, Best Practice & Trends within the Plastics Processing Industry........................................................................................................................ 19 The Deliverable.............................................................................................................................. 21 Low Energy Plastics Processing: A European Best Practice Guide ....................................... 21 Best Practice.............................................................................................................................. 22 Act Now! .................................................................................................................................... 23 The Deliverable.............................................................................................................................. 25 Design Fundamentals............................................................................................................................ 26 Design Fundamentals for Energy Efficiency .................................................................................. 26 The Deliverable.............................................................................................................................. 26 Tools for Energy Reduction ................................................................................................................... 28 Cost of Ownership Model ............................................................................................................ 28 The COM application .............................................................................................................. 28 Validation................................................................................................................................... 30 Testing and Feedback............................................................................................................. 31 4 EIE/04/153/S07.38646 RECIPE The Deliverable.............................................................................................................................. 32 Energy Managers Toolkit.............................................................................................................. 32 The ‘Quick Check’.................................................................................................................... 32 The ‘Energy Review’................................................................................................................. 33 The Deliverable.............................................................................................................................. 35 Dissemination.......................................................................................................................................... 36 Review and Present New Ideas .................................................................................................. 36 The Deliverable.............................................................................................................................. 36 The Project Website ...................................................................................................................... 37 The Deliverable.............................................................................................................................. 38 Press Releases and Publications ................................................................................................. 39 Examples of published press releases.................................................................................... 39 Seminars and Presentations ........................................................................................................ 40 Posters, Flyers and Dissemination Material ................................................................................ 41 Conclusions............................................................................................................................................. 42 ENER-Plast ....................................................................................................................................... 42 Key Results ...................................................................................................................................... 43 Conclusions .................................................................................................................................... 43 5 EIE/04/153/S07.38646 RECIPE Chapter 1 Summary The European polymer industry is one of the most important sectors in the EU, with an aggregate production of almost 40 billion tonnes, representing a value of some €250 million and applications in a vast variety of industries. However, the sector is mainly dominated by SMEs who are coming under increasing pressure from low wage economies as well as increases in EU enforced legislation, and a rise in the price of energy and materials. The volatility of oil prices, the buoyant global demand for energy products and the rapid economic growth of China and India has resulted in testing business conditions for the industry with optimism and confidence at an all time low. With rising energy costs, soaring raw material prices and the impacts of climate change the need to monitor and reduce energy consumption is more important than ever. As with most industries, controlling costs is critical to sustainability and profitability, however, energy costs can be controlled and often reduced, by implementing measures that do not require significant investment. Energy efficiency offers short- and long-term benefits and by increasing the efficiency of a business the bottom line can be strengthened. RECIPE (Reduced Energy Consumption in Plastics Engineering) aimed to provide European plastics processors with the knowledge, justification and tools needed to reduce their energy consumption through the implementation of best practice and the introduction of new technologies. A consortium was drawn together of eight European RTOs from six of the major plastics processing nations with a high profile and reputation for excellence within the target group. Achieved Results During the 36-month action the following achievements were made: The ‘2005 European Benchmarking Survey and Adoption of Best Practice’ report was written using data collected from the benchmarking questionnaire. In total, 246 companies from 13 different countries participated. A ‘Review of Energy Management Practices, Best Practice and Trends within the Plastics Processing Industry’ was conducted and the resulting report made available for download from the project website. 6 EIE/04/153/S07.38646 RECIPE ‘Low Energy Plastics Processing: A European Best Practice Guide’ was published in 6 languages and made available in both printed and electronic format. Over 2,000 copies of the Guide were downloaded from the project website. A series of factsheets entitled ‘Design Fundamentals for Energy Efficiency’ were produced and made available to download from the project website. A ‘Cost of Ownership Model’ was developed to enable processors calculate the cost of operating a piece of equipment over its project lifetime, based on energy efficiency and projected usage. The available reports show comparisons of the lifetime cost of different machines as well as the differences in the cost when producing a specific part. An ‘interactive toolkit’ was developed and integrated into the RECIPE website to help plastics processors understand how energy is being used at their plant and how to save energy and money. The toolkit provides an overview of the energy that a plant purchases and the major systems that consume energy and provides a report that helps the user to understand where the largest opportunities are for energy and cost saving. Six newsletters were published and distributed across Europe in both electronic and printed format. A project website was developed (www.eurecipe.com) and widely disseminated. Information resources and software applications were made available through the website for organisations to access to help them reduce their energy consumption. A comprehensive dissemination programme was conducted including seminars, participation in conferences and exhibitions, press releases, posters and electronic media. Lessons Learnt The results of the ‘2005 Benchmarking Survey of Energy Consumption and Adoption of Best Practice’ show that there is a low level of energy management and awareness within the plastics processing industry. It also demonstrated that there was a need for the RECIPE project in order to increase the understanding of the business benefits of lower energy consumption. The survey generated enough information to set benchmarks for specific energy consumption across Europe, and enables processors to calculate their own energy consumption and compare themselves against the average. Energy costs are frequently a secondary consideration after machine, staff and material costs within the plastics processing industry. However, energy efficiency should be a key contributor to improving productivity and is an essential part of good management. There is a large variation in the cost per unit of energy, types of fuel utilised and attitudes towards energy issues across Europe. However, the future of the European plastics industry may depend in how we manage the issue of energy consumption and its increasing cost. 7 EIE/04/153/S07.38646 RECIPE Chapter 2 About RECIPE The European plastics processing industry faces intense competition from lower wage economies and an alarming rise in energy prices. To remain competitive a business must have an effective energy management process, good market knowledge and an awareness of technology and support mechanisms. RECIPE (Reduced Energy Consumption in Plastics Engineering) was a three-year project to provide European plastics processors with the knowledge, justification and tools needed to reduce their energy consumption through the implementation of best practice and the introduction of new technologies. The European plastics processing industry comprises more than 27,000 companies (more than 80% SMEs), employing more than one million people, and with total sales over 100 million Euros. The industry is a key customer of the chemical and petrochemical industries, and sits within many key product supply chains, as plastics products and components are essential within markets as diverse as vehicles, packaging, construction, electrical/electronic, medical/surgical, leisure and diverse consumer and industrial goods. Why ‘RECIPE’? The foundations of RECIPE were developed from recommendations of the Technology Roadmap (TRM) for Low Energy Polymer Processing conducted by the Faraday Plastics Partnership (a UK organization with the aim of improving the competitiveness of the UK plastics industry through research, development, transfer and exploitation of new and improved science and technology). Technology Roadmapping is a high level tool for supporting technology management and planning which has been widely adopted in industry to support national and sector ‘foresight’ initiatives. In its most basic form, a TRM can be considered as a time-based chart consisting of a number of layers that can typically include commercial, technological, legislative and environmental perspectives. The recommendations of the TRM aimed to catalyze the plastics industry into measuring its energy use performance and change for the better. This includes industry benchmarking 8 EIE/04/153/S07.38646 RECIPE and sectoral targets – a performance of market research to study how energy efficient the polymer processing sector is in its current practices, a demonstration unit – establishing a ‘show and tell unit’ to illustrate the benefits of energy efficiency, a cost of ownership model – establishing a financial model for typical paybacks to incentivize the industry to adopt energy saving measures and training – in energy measurement and management. The Objectives Collation of existing knowledge, material and experience from across the EU, with the intention of promoting the best of the best Development of industry specific web-based energy saving tools Look beyond current best practice to provide the industry with information on novel technologies and practices Dissemination programme which will increase the awareness throughout the European plastics processing industry of the most recent energy reducing technologies and materials development The Partners A consortium was drawn together of eight European RTOs from six of the major plastics processing nations with a high profile and reputation for excellence within the target group. Europe’s leading independent plastics and rubber research and technology organisation providing specialist technical, commercial and information services for the polymer industry and end-user industries Smithers Rapra Technology (UK) including the automotive, construction, electrical, medical, offshore, packaging and polyurethane sectors. The BPF is the leading trade association for the UK plastics industry (representing approximately 80% of turnover), a springboard for industry action, existing to exploit common opportunities and resolve shared British Plastics Federation (UK) problems. Membership encompasses producers, suppliers and processors in addition to additive and machinery suppliers and manufacturers. The Danish Technology Institute is a not for profit organisation that promotes growth by improving interaction and encouraging synergy Danish Technology Institute between research organisations, businesses and the community. (Denmark) 9 EIE/04/153/S07.38646 RECIPE ASCAMM+ is a not for profit organisation founded in 1979. It currently has over 200 members comprising of a workforce of over 4000 people. ASCAMM+’s activities include specialised training, promotion of the ASCAMM+ (Spain) industry and advisory services. AIMPLAS is an innovation and technology centre based in Spain. Founded in 1990, AIMPLAS conducts research within the plastics transformation sector in order to increase the competitiveness of the AIMPLAS (Spain) plastics industry and related sectors. Pôle Européen de Plasturgie was founded in 1990 with the assistance of the plastics industry: transformers, mould and die manufacturers, machine manufacturers, plastic producers and toolmakers. It aims to increases the competitiveness of the industry by improving the research and Pôle Européen de Plasturgie technology developments, from design to finished product. (France) CRIF-Wallonie started life in 1969 as CRIF Plastics; in order to answer the specific needs of the plastic processing members of Agoria. The main activities can be split into three areas; engineering of materials including the design of high tech components in plastic and metal, smart CRIF – Wallonie (Belgium) manufacturing and process and rapid manufacturing. The research and design expertise of the Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology ICT is primarily geared towards products and processes in the Fraunhofer Institut fuer Chemische Technologie ICT fields of polymer engineering, environmental engineering, electrochemistry and energetic materials. (Germany) 10 EIE/04/153/S07.38646 RECIPE Chapter 3 Work Programme The RECIPE work programme was structured into 9 work packages: 1. National Best Practice and Benchmarking 2. EU and Rest of World Best Practice 3. Design Fundamentals for Energy Efficiency 4. Cost of Ownership Model 5. Tools for Energy Reduction 6. Review and Present New Ideas 7. Dissemination within EU and Accession States 8. Common Dissemination Activities 9. Management The links between the work packages can be seen below: The work programme was divided into four main strands. The first incorporated work packages WP1 and WP3, in which existing knowledge, material and experience from across the EU was collated in order to promote the ‘best of the best’. 11 EIE/04/153/S07.38646 RECIPE This also included the development of a European Best Practice Guide for the plastics processing industry. The Guide is highly industry specific and provides advice relating to eight specific processes as well as understanding energy, energy management and utilities and peripherals. The second strand (WP4 and WP5) built on the knowledge of the consortium to develop an industry specific ‘Energy Managers Toolkit’. The ‘toolkit’ is an online application to help plastics processors understand how energy is being used at their plant and how to save energy and money. Included in the ‘toolkit’ is a ‘Cost of Ownership Model’ which enables processors to calculate the cost of operating a piece of equipment over its projected lifetime, based on energy efficiency and projected usage. Within the third strand, (WP6) RECIPE looked beyond current best practice and provided the plastics processing industry with a regular stream of information on energy saving technologies and practices. The final strand incorporated the two dissemination work packages (WP7 and WP8). This included seminars, posters, publicity material, press releases, newsletters and e-zines. Finally, running in parallel with the four delivery strands for the duration of the project, WP9 encompassed the general management of RECIPE. 12 EIE/04/153/S07.38646 RECIPE Chapter 4 Benchmarking Benchmarking Energy Use in Plastics Processing Benchmarking is the process of assessing and setting targets for improvement and achievement in order to reduce costs, save money and improve performance. Energy benchmarking is the collection, analysis and reporting of data to provide industrial companies with context for assessing comparative energy efficiencies. It is an important means of energy management, which allows companies to compare themselves with the ‘best of the best’. Using energy more efficiently helps a business improve its productivity and bottom line, making it more competitive, while reducing greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. Energy benchmarking and monitoring allows a company to identify deficiencies and adapt to a better practice. 2005 Benchmarking Survey of Energy Consumption and Adoption of Best Practice The RECIPE project conducted a benchmarking questionnaire-based survey of the European plastics industry to assess energy usage, management and awareness. The objective was to aid plans to reduce the amount used, and cost, of energy. The survey and data analysis was carried out between April and September 2005: highlights included: Companies taking part A total of 165 completed questionnaires were received from across the EU covering both SMEs and larger companies serving a wide range of markets. The average number of employees was in the category 50 – 249 whilst the average turnover was in the region of €10 million. The majority of these returns were from Germany, Spain, and the UK. They cover most of the processes that are carried out within the plastics industry and, as such as a valuable contribution to the benchmarking survey and future plans to reduce the amount, and cost, of energy used within the industry. The largest process group was injection moulding and a separate analysis was carried out with this data to assess the influence on ‘SEC’ of machine size, and electric vs. hydraulic. 13 EIE/04/153/S07.38646 RECIPE The average age of the machinery across the complete sample was 9 years, with Germany having the most modern machinery at 6 years and the UK the oldest at 13 years. Over 60% of the companies worked 24hrs and 5 days, 20% worked 24/7, and the remainder worked a variety of other shift patterns. The average machine utilisation was 75%, ranging from the UK at 70% to Spain at 79%. Following the publication of the report, a further 81 questionnaires have been submitted. Specific Energy Consumption (SEC) The average site ‘specific energy consumption’ was 2.87 kW/kg/hr and varied mainly by business type, but also by country. Compounding 0.631 Fibre Extrusion Av erage SEC (kW/kg/hr) 0.85 Film Extrusion 1.346 Profile Extrusion 1.506 Injection Moulding 3.118 Compression Mouldig 3.168 Rotational Moulding 5.828 Thermoforming 6.179 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Average Specific Energy Consumption (kW/kg/hr) by business type The average ‘SEC’ for eight different business types ranged from 0.63 for compounding to 6.179 for vacuum thermoforming. The different values reflected the complexity of each process and conformed to expectation. The age of the buildings and whether they were ‘purpose built’ or not appeared to make negligible difference to the ‘SEC’. Within injection moulding, ‘SEC’ was higher for 25 – 150 tonnes (clamp force) machines and lower when electric machines were used, as opposed to hydraulic. 14 EIE/04/153/S07.38646 RECIPE 3.494 UK 2.925 Germany Spain 1.937 Ov erall 2.867 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 Average Specific Energy Consumption (kW/kg/hr) by country The variation between countries was most likely due to the age of the machinery and business, as well as the mix of business types. The UK had the highest ‘SEC’ of 3.5, but also the oldest machinery; Germany was close to the average at 2.9, whilst Spain was the lowest at 1.95. Site ‘specific energy consumption’ can be seen as primarily a function of the process carried out, with smaller influences due to the age, size and efficiency of the machinery being used, plus a base load for the site infrastructure. The figures quoted in the report should now be used as a benchmark for the industry, enabling processors to calculate their own ‘site SEC’ and compare themselves against the European average. If they find that they are above the average then a programme of energy reduction should be undertaken. Even if they are close to the average there will still be room for improvement as roughly 50% of the sample must be better than average! Cost of Energy and Fuels Used The average cost of energy for respondents across Europe over a 12-month period was 0.08 €/kWh, but ranged from 0.04 for Poland to 0.10 for Germany. The variation could be due to a variety of factors such as exchange rates, the small number of returns from some countries and because the data could not be guaranteed to cover a consistent period of time. An additional factor was the mixture of fuels, 80% of the UK respondents used both gas and electricity in comparison to Spain which was very reliant upon electricity. The survey illustrated that where a company uses a mixture of fuel, it is likely that their average cost per kWh will be lower. In fact, those using more than two types of fuel paid significantly less per kWh for their fuel. 15 EIE/04/153/S07.38646 RECIPE Poland France €/KWh Greece Switzerland UK Belgium Austria Spain Germany Italy 0 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.1 0.12 Overview of energy costs (€/kWh) by country Very few companies generated their own electricity and only 14% purchased electricity from a local generation scheme or recovered energy for reuse. The exception was Germany where approximately 70% of respondents purchased from a local scheme and recovered energy for reuse. Energy Awareness Around 30% of the companies responding to the survey claimed to adhere to a written energy policy, although some of these were incorporated within an overall environmental policy statement. The UK at 50% was significantly higher than other countries, which may reflect the high take up of energy audits, funded by government through the Carbon Trust. Less than 5% actually employ a full time energy manager. About 55% of companies have ensured that a senior manager has responsibility for energy management. Almost 30% of those who completed the questionnaire have ISO 14000 certification which is a good starting point for energy management. However, this does mean that 70% of those who completed the questionnaire did not have ISO 14000. EMAS is a natural progression from ISO14000 so it is not surprising that a lower number have EMAS registration, but such a low figure of 5% is surprising. 16 EIE/04/153/S07.38646 RECIPE Only 20% had an energy audit in the last 5 years, most of these in the UK. Around 40% had made use of energy consultants. Less than 30% monitored energy on each machine. An energy awareness score, arrived at from the responses in this section, had a potential maximum of 16. About 60% of companies scored less than 4, which was the average for the whole sample. Only 1% scored in the range 14 to 16. As it is likely that most of those companies returning a questionnaire were already concerned about energy, the conclusion must be that we still have a long way to go in energy management. Attitudes towards energy can be summarised as follows: The UK plastics industry far from monitoring energy usually treats it as a fixed overhead. This approach is very different to the remainder of the respondents where roughly half allocate energy to specific machines or jobs. It is clear that being able to allocate costs to a specific job is one of the best ways of controlling and reducing costs, and this may partly explain the higher ‘sec’ within the UK. Hence, a review of overhead costing within the UK is required to assist in the target of reducing energy usage and hence carbon dioxide emissions. 60% of companies felt that unless firm action was taken now to combat rising energy costs, significant damage could be done to the plastics industry within Europe in the near future. The heartening response to the question on the Kyoto protocol was that almost 50% felt that reducing energy usage was everybody’s responsibility, with only 25% claiming to put their own business interests first. The ‘2005 Benchmarking Survey of Energy Consumption and Adoption of Best Practice’ generated enough information to set benchmarks for specific energy consumption, across Europe, for eight different plastics processes. It also provides insights regarding the influence of, age and type of building, age and size of machinery, and country of operation, which may reflect differing governmental influence. The general attitude to the ‘energy’ issue amongst respondents was positive but, from the low energy awareness score, it is apparent that a lot of improvement could still be made. It is important, therefore, that all companies review their energy position, compare themselves against the benchmark data, and implement changes accordingly. Their future, and that of the plastics industry in Europe, could depend upon how we manage the issue of energy consumption and increasing costs. 17 EIE/04/153/S07.38646 RECIPE The Deliverable The ‘2005 Benchmarking Survey of Energy Consumption and Adoption of Best Practice’ is available to download from the RECIPE website (www.eurecipe.com), in five different languages, English, German, Spanish, French and Italian. The data collected in the survey was also used in the development of the ‘Energy Managers Toolkit’ and provides information in the ‘Low Energy Plastics Processing: A European Best Practice Guide’. 18 EIE/04/153/S07.38646 RECIPE Chapter 5 Best Practice Best Practice for Low Energy Plastics Processing There are many reasons for wanting to improve your energy efficiency, however, the most compelling reason for the plastics processing industry is that wasting energy costs money and this is reflected in the bottom line. With rising energy costs, soaring raw material prices and the impacts of climate change the need to monitor and reduce energy consumption is more important than ever before. As with most industries, controlling costs is critical to sustainability. However, energy costs can be controlled and often reduced, by implementing measures that do not require significant investment. In many cases improvements can be made for low or no cost, by making slight changes to the way a process or equipment is operated to optimise its performance. In order to assist the European plastics processing industry in becoming energy efficient, RECIPE wrote and disseminated two important best practice guidance documents: 1. Review of Energy Management Practices, Best Practice & Trends within the Plastics Processing Industry 2. Low Energy Plastics Processing: A European Best Practice Guide Review of Energy Management Practices, Best Practice & Trends within the Plastics Processing Industry The RECIPE consortium conducted a survey of information related to best practice guidance and energy efficiency in the plastics processing industry. The resulting report ‘Review of Energy Management Practices, Best Practice & Trends within the Plastics Processing Industry’ drew together the national guidelines available to establish what constitutes best practice for the industry. Information was compiled from European and non-European countries. In total, forty-two documents were sourced and divided into the following categories: 40% were best practice guidelines specifically aimed at the plastics industry 7% were case studies illustrating examples of best practice in the plastics industry 5% were case studies illustrating examples of best practice within the manufacturing sector, but applicable to the plastics industry 19 EIE/04/153/S07.38646 RECIPE 31% were best practice guidelines relating to energy efficiency in any industry 10% were national energy strategies 7% were technical guides for the plastics industry The survey was carried out between March and September 2005, and included a review of Spain, Germany, Canada, United States, United Kingdom, Denmark and New Zealand. The results of the survey found: ASIA CANADA There are very few guidelines readily available in There are many Canadian organisations playing a Asia, however, in some areas energy efficiency dynamic role in helping Canadians save millions of and conservation is becoming an important issue. dollars in energy costs while addressing the The Energy Resources Section of the Economic challenges of climate change. All of the and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific organisations provide users of their website a (ESCAP), concluded that energy benchmarking comprehensive publications and downloads should be used in all energy intensive enterprises section providing information on how to save on the basis of best practice and a system of energy and money and help protect the energy auditing should be established in order to environment while reducing greenhouse gas identify current patterns of energy usage and to emissions that contribute to climate change. point out areas of potential savings. DENMARK SPAIN Denmark promotes energy efficiency, renewables There are several organisations promoting the and combined heat and power production (CHP). efficient use of energy in the country. For It has set itself several targets including producing example, the Institute for Energy Diversification 20% of its electricity from renewables and and Saving (IDAE) promotes energy efficiency reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 21% in the and the rational use of energy, supports the first budget period 2008 – 2012 compared to 1990. diversification of sources of supply and promotes There is also a stringent national commitment to the use of renewable sources of energy. The reduce CO2 emissions by 20% by 2005, compared Institute carries out dissemination, awareness to 1988. raising and advisory services for all energyconsuming sectors. NEW ZEALAND GERMANY In March 2005, the New Zealand Cabinet There are no best practice guides or publications, confirmed a policy to assist energy intensive specific to energy efficiency and plastics businesses to reduce greenhouse gas emissions processing available in Germany. However, there and to alleviate the possible adverse effects of the is information available regarding environmental new carbon tax through improved energy protection as a result of national and feasibility efficiency. studies, (Example: Gosner, 2000). 20 EIE/04/153/S07.38646 RECIPE UNITED KINGDOM UNITED STATES There are many organisations promoting energy The plastics industry consumes approximately 6% efficiency in industry, and specifically the plastics of all the energy used by U.S. industries, and is industry. For example, the Carbon Trust is an valued at $6 billion. The DOE estimates that independent company funded by the reducing the plastics industry energy use by as Government to help the UK move to a low carbon little as 1% by 2010 may reduce the total annual economy. Their aim is to help businesses and the energy costs by $100 million. In 2003, the Society public sector reduce carbon emissions and of the Plastics Industry Inc. and DOE formed a capture the commercial opportunities of low partnership to identify the potential for plastics carbon technologies. manufacturers to reduce their overall energy use, enhance productivity and save money. The Deliverable The ‘Review of Energy Management Practices, Best Practice and Trends within the Plastics Processing Industry Across the World’ is available to download from the RECIPE website (www.eurecipe.com). The data collected in the review was used as a starting point for the development of the RECIPE European Best Practice Guide. In addition, it also highlighted that there was limited information available specifically to the plastics processing industry and what was available had been published in the 1990’s. It was considered that there had been many changes in manufacturing practices and energy purchasing in this time, and therefore much of the information was out-of-date. Furthermore, much of the information was difficult to find and time consuming to locate. Low Energy Plastics Processing: A European Best Practice Guide Energy efficiency offers short- and long-term benefits and by increasing the efficiency of a business the bottom line can be strengthened. In order to help European plastics processors make rational and informed decisions about the use of energy on their site, RECIPE wrote and published ‘Low Energy Plastics Processing: A European Best Practice Guide’. 21 EIE/04/153/S07.38646 RECIPE The Guide was written to help organisations plan and implement an energy efficiency programme and designed for use by anyone recognising that not everyone has time to undertake a full energy management programme. The Guide was designed to help organisations undertake an energy audit and identify measures where energy and cost savings can be made most easily. Each chapter contains useful tips and actions to take, individual case studies and no-cost, low-cost and capital expenditure solutions to help reduce energy consumption. Best Practice There are many reasons why an organisation should take energy efficiency seriously, from improving their economic health to helping to reduce damage to the environment. Many measures can also bring substantial benefits in terms of employee comfort through improved heating, insulation and the avoidance of cold spots. In addition, attention to energy efficiency can often highlight deficiencies in other areas such as maintenance, process yield and quality therefore giving significant additional productivity benefits. Additionally, an increasing amount of regulations and directives at both a national and European level are being applied to drive improvements in energy efficiency. It is not just a matter of operating efficiently; it can also be a factor in operating legally. In order to support the European plastics processing industry in becoming more energy efficient, the RECIPE consortium published ‘Low Energy Plastics Processing: A European Best Practice Guide’. Information collected from the Benchmarking Survey (WP1) and the Best Practice Review (WP2) was used to produce a Guide for all levels of management and operational staff, and provide a structured and practical approach to improving energy efficiency when plastics processing. Developed for companies that want to achieve more strategic control over rising energy costs, the Guide outlines opportunities to encourage processors make energy efficiency a part of their operating procedures and contains useful techniques, tools, tips and practical advice to get started. 22 EIE/04/153/S07.38646 RECIPE Table of Contents from ‘Low Energy Plastics Processing: European Best Practice Guide Contents 1. Introduction 9. Composites 9.1 Manufacturing with composite materials 2. Understanding Energy 9.2 Reducing energy consumption when 2.1 When are you using energy? manufacturing composite materials 2.2 Why are you using energy? 2.3 Where are you using energy? 10. Compression Moulding 2.4 How much energy are you using? 10.1 The compression moulding process 2.5 Benchmarking your performance 10.2 Reducing energy consumption in compression moulding 2.6 Purchasing energy Pendulum Storage 3. Renewable Energy 3.1 The EC White Paper on Renewable Energy 11. Utilities and Peripherals Sources 11.1 Heating and lighting 3.2 Renewable energy sources 11.2 Light source selection 11.3 Energy efficient electronic ballasts 4. Injection Moulding 11.4 Energy efficient lighting fixtures 4.1 The injection moulding process 11.5 Light regulation according to daylight 4.2 Reducing energy consumption in the penetration injection moulding process 11.6 Motion sensors (PIR) Case Study: Potential savings when fitting a 11.7 Ventilation variable speed drive 11.8 Cooling water 5. Extrusion 11.9 Compressed air 5.1 The extrusion process 11.10 Hydraulic motors 5.2 Reducing energy consumption in the 11.11Standby time extrusion process Case Study: Increasing efficiency through 12. Energy Management 12.1 The advantages of energy efficiency innovative machine technology 12.2 Energy awareness survey 6. Blow Moulding 12.3 Effective implementation 6.1 The blow moulding process 12.4 Top-level commitment 6.2 Reducing energy consumption in the blow 12.5 Leadership moulding process 12.6 Company awareness Case Study: ‘Air Wizard’ Optimisation 12.7 Communication 7. Rotational Moulding 12.8 Empowerment 7.1 The Rotational Moulding Process 7.2 Reducing energy consumption in the rotational moulding process 8. Thermoforming 8.1 The thermoforming process 8.2 Reducing energy consumption in the thermoforming process Act Now! Each chapter within the Best Practice Guide included ‘Act Now! 10 Tips to Reduce your Energy Consumption’, with the aim of providing simple and easy to follow action points that could easily be implemented by an organisation and show quick results. For example: 23 EIE/04/153/S07.38646 RECIPE Act Now! 10 Tips to Reduce your Energy Consumption when Injection Moulding 1. Is the process stable and run with consistent settings? Check the parameters of the injection moulding and ancillary equipment to ensure they are constant. Inconsistencies may mean an unstable process that can lead to defective parts and increased consumption of energy. 2. Are the parameters optimised for the part being produced? Check that the clamping force is not higher than required and that the cooling time and holding pressure are not excessive. 3. Is the cycle time optimised? Shorter cycle times mean less absorbed power. 4. Are scrap levels reviewed periodically? Implement procedures to reduce scrap. There are injection-moulding ‘expert systems’ available that communicate with the machine to automatically correct parts. Reducing scrap levels can help to reduce your energy consumption. 5. Is mould performance reviewed periodically? Some scrap parts may be caused by damage to, or the incorrect design of, the mould. Reviewing mould performance can help to reduce your scrap levels. 6. Is the machine suitable for the type of product being molded? Some products need a specific screw (e.g. PVC products) 7. Are you running the correct ancillary equipment? Has the most suitable drying, chilling or heating system been selected? 8. Is there a regular maintenance procedure for the injection-moulding machine and ancillary equipment? When reducing your energy consumption it is good practice to carry out routine maintenance on heat exchangers and cooling channels in moulds. 9. Do you have a procedure for energy saving during long down times? When reducing your energy consumption it is good practice to carry out routine maintenance on heat exchangers and cooling channels in moulds. 10. Conduct a time and motion study to see if it is possible to reduce the process cycle time through the introduction of a new technology such as robotics and automation systems. In addition, the ‘Act Now!’ points were used in the Energy Managers Toolkit to highlight to users what they should be doing to reduce the energy consumption of their organisation. 24 EIE/04/153/S07.38646 RECIPE The Deliverable ‘Low Energy Plastics Processing: A European Best Practice Guide’ was one of the most important and successful deliverables of the RECIPE project. The Guide was made available as a download from www.eurecipe.com in 6 languages (English, Spanish, German, French, German and Italian). An initial target of 1,000 downloads was set at the start of RECIPE, however, this was more than doubled and during the project 2,059 downloads of the Guide were achieved. Printed copies of the Guide were also made available and were distributed at exhibitions, conferences, seminars, and to those who requested copies through the website. The Best Practice Guide was widely disseminated across Europe and was reviewed by many industry publications including: Engineering Talk ‘Best Practice for low energy plastics processing’ Modern Plastics Worldwide ‘Guide shows how to realise energy saving’ Polymer Cluster ‘New Guide advises best practice for low energy plastics processing’ Reinforced Plastics ‘Guide identifies energy saving techniques’ 25 EIE/04/153/S07.38646 RECIPE Chapter 6 Design Fundamentals Design Fundamentals for Energy Efficiency In the plastics industry energy consumption, as well as the generation of waste energy and emissions that are environmentally harmful, can be attributed to four main sources: 1. The tooling used to process plastics (e.g. a plastic injection moulding tool) is badly designed due to a poor understanding of tool materials and/or an inadequate understanding of heat flow in the tooling 2. A lack of appreciation of how the placement/geometry of cooling channels can critically influence process cycle time and thereby the amount of energy lost by the tool in the form of heat that is transferred from the tool to the liquid coolant 3. Poor design of the pump/heat exchanger system used to supply and circulate cooling fluid to the plastic forming tools 4. The use of indirect cooling systems that employ cold water to cool tools. In such systems cold water is used to cool a group of forming machines and as a consequence the temperature of the water is usually determined by the forming machine that requires the coldest water. By designing individual cooling systems or by grouping machines according to the amount of cooling required, very significant energy savings can be achieved. In order to assist the industry in reducing their energy consumption, the Danish Technological Institute supported by Smithers Rapra published a series of case studies and factsheets demonstrating fundamental design principals and highlighting how work in each of the above areas has led to significant reductions in energy consumption. The Deliverable In total, DTI published eight factsheets on design fundamentals for energy efficiency in plastics processing. The factsheets were made available to download from the RECIPE website (www.eurecipe.com) and printed copies were distributed at seminars, exhibitions, workshops and conferences. Below are four examples of the Design Fundamentals factsheets: 26 EIE/04/153/S07.38646 RECIPE Case Study: Cooling plant at LEGO uses water as a Case Study: Energy savings with groundwater refrigerant cooling Water as refrigerant Case Study: Water loop design optimisation at Superfos Packaging The additional factsheets include: Energy savings by optimised water loop design Energy savings in plastics processing Software packages for minimising energy consumption Mould design aspects to minimise energy consumption 27 EIE/04/153/S07.38646 RECIPE Chapter Tools for Energy 7 Reduction Providing companies with the means to understand, monitor and evaluate the energy usage of their operation could significantly reduce the energy consumption of the plastics processing industry. To support this, the RECIPE consortium developed and widely disseminated two industry specific software applications that: 1. demonstrates the total cost of ownership of piece of equipment 2. enables an energy manager to evaluate the energy efficiency of key areas of an organisation against benchmark values The applications were then integrated into the RECIPE website (www.eurecipe.com) to become an ‘Energy Managers Toolkit’ for the plastics processing industry. Cost of Ownership Model Manufacturers of machinery and equipment quote the cost of delivering their product to the customer, and purchasing decisions are often based on these initial costs. However, due to energy savings throughout the lifetime of a piece of equipment (and other costs) the lifetime cost of a piece of equipment is very different. This is certainly the case with all-electric injection moulding machines, which are typically more expensive to buy than hydraulic machines, but over the entire lifetime are substantially less expensive to own and run due to the energy savings. The RECIPE ‘Cost of Ownership Model’, developed predominately by ASCAMM+, enables processors to calculate the cost of operating a piece of equipment over its projected lifetime, based on energy efficiency and projected usage. The available reports show comparisons of the lifetime cost of different machines as well as the differences in the cost when producing a specific part. The COM application The RECIPE COM uses 6 categories to estimate the lifetime cost of a specific piece of equipment: 1. Material Costs 2. Running costs (including energy) 28 EIE/04/153/S07.38646 RECIPE 3. Investment costs 4. Installation costs 5. Maintenance costs 6. Disposal costs Information relating to different machines is first entered into the application. This includes: Machine type (hydraulic, electric, hybrid) Installed power Energy factor Machine cost Installation cost Disposal cost Next, information relating to the part to be produced on the machine is entered. This includes: Number of cavities Scrap Part weight Sprue weight A number of reports can then be selected, including: 29 Cost Part Comparison Cost Elements Comparison Lifetime Cost Part Comparison Cost Part Report EIE/04/153/S07.38646 RECIPE Validation In order to validate the results of the ‘Cost of Ownership Model’, ASCAMM+ conducted a series of comparison tests using three software packages currently available on the market: 1. Polybridge Cost Calculator – An Injection Moulding calculator 2. ASCAMM Cost Calculator 3. Bayer Cost Calculator - A raw part production cost calculator The comparison was made using four different moulded parts: PART 1 – Car Bumper Weight 5.5kg Cycle Time 70 sec Material 97% PP with mineral charge (20%) – 3% EPDM Average wall thickness: 3mm Mould cost €500,000 1 Cavity, hot runner manifold, sequential injection PART 2 – BHID: Craneoclip Weight 0.397gr Cycle Time 21 sec Material PEEK (poly ether-ether-Ketone) Average wall thickness: 1.5mm Mould cost €15,000 4 Cavities, Hot runner manifold PART 3 – Fresh Cheese Cup Weight 16,732gr Cycle time 5.5 sec Material PP Average wall thickness: 0.8mm Mould cost €250,000 16 cavities, Hot runner manifold PART 4 – Glass Bioscreen Weight 9.65gr Cycle time 18 sec Material PS Average wall thickness: 2.5mm Mould cost €12,000 1 cavity, hot gate 30 EIE/04/153/S07.38646 RECIPE The table below shows the results of the comparisons using the parts specified above, and demonstrates that the results of the RECIPE COM are similar to those of the other available applications. Polybridge Bayer ASCAMM RECIPE COM 9.365 €/part 8.9300 €/part 9.7565 €/part 9.953 €/part BHID Craneoclip 0.05820 €/part 0.06 €/part 0.05847 €/part 0.06027 €/part Fresh Cheese Cup 0.08758 €/part 0.09 €/part 0.09143 €/part 0.06027 €/part Glass Bioscreen 0.08053 €/part 0.06 €/part 0.07945 €/part 0.07956 €/part Car Bumper The Bayer Cost Calculator does show a slight difference in cost, however, this is due to the fact that it does not take into account the efficiency of the process in the production time calculation. It was concluded that the RECIPE ‘Cost of Ownership Model’ does provide reliable results. Testing and Feedback During the development of the COM a programme of industrial testing was performed in order to gather comments and feedback on the application and to assess it relevance and applicability to the industry. Comments from the testing panels included: ‘I had a play with the program. It is definitely very impressive and I would happily endorse it.’ (Injection moulding machine manufacturer) ‘I have made a series of tests with colleagues and also CRIF members, and the tool was found very useful’ (CRIF) ‘The final version of this software is a very useable tool that will enable purchase decisions to be made on a whole cost of ownership basis. Thus equipment that may appear more expensive to purchase may actually be shown to be a cheaper option over the lifetime of the machine. This may encourage the purchase of lower energy consuming machinery such as all electric IM machines as opposed to hydraulic machinery.’ (Consultant, Smithers Rapra) 31 EIE/04/153/S07.38646 RECIPE The Deliverable The RECIPE ‘Cost of Ownership Model’ was made available as a download from www.eurecipe.com. It formed part of the ‘Energy Managers Toolkit’ along with a system for assessing the energy efficiency of a plant (see below). Energy Managers Toolkit The ‘Energy Managers Toolkit’ is an online software application to help plastics processors understand how energy is being used at their plant and how to save energy and money. The toolkit gives an overview of the energy that a plant purchases and the major systems that consume energy and provides a report that helps the user understand where the largest opportunities are for energy and cost saving. The toolkit guides the user through a series of questions relating to the energy efficiency of their organisation and compares the results to European averages and best practice guidance. It also helps the user to look more closely at individual processes within the plant and evaluate key areas for attention. The RECIPE consortium developed two versions of the toolkit, the ‘Quick Check’ and the ‘Energy Review’. The aim was for those that did not have time to complete the full version could complete the ‘Quick Check’ and see an estimate of the savings they could make if they achieved the benchmark. They would then, hopefully, return to the toolkit to complete the ‘Energy Review’ to find out how to make the savings. A checklist was provided at the start of both versions for users to collate the information required before starting the review. The ‘Quick Check’ The ‘Quick Check’ provides the user with a comparison of their organisations performance against the benchmark for the European Union. It also estimates the potential savings a user could make if they reached the benchmark or improved upon it. 32 EIE/04/153/S07.38646 RECIPE The ‘Quick Check’ uses the following information to assess the energy efficiency of an organisation: Annual electricity consumption Annual gas consumption Annual oil consumption Annual LPG consumption Tonnage of polymer processes in the same period Cost of energy in the same period Users enter their data and are provided with a summary of their Site ‘Specific Energy Consumption’, how they compare to the benchmark and potential savings if they reached the benchmark. A copy of the summary is also sent by email. The ‘Energy Review’ The ‘Energy Review’ provides the user with a comparison of their organisations performance against the benchmark for the European Union. It also estimates the potential savings a user could make if they reached the benchmark, or even if improved on it. The ‘Energy Review’ also supplies an action plan for both the management of energy within an organisation and for technical improvements relevant to the processes operated on a site. The questions for the detailed assessment are based on the benchmarking survey carried out in WP1 and information contained in the Best Practice Guide (WP2). To complete the review, users enter information relating to: Annual tonnage of plastics material processed Annual electricity consumption Annual gas consumption 33 EIE/04/153/S07.38646 Annual oil consumption Annual LPG consumption Annual energy costs Size and numbers of machines RECIPE Users enter details on their company and its operations Next, information relating to energy usage and energy management practices and attitudes is entered 34 EIE/04/153/S07.38646 RECIPE Finally, questions to relating to the specific processes carried out in the organisations are answered Users are provided with a summary of their Site Specific Energy Consumption, a management action plan a technical action plan specific to their process and links to further useful information The Deliverable The RECIPE ‘Energy Managers Toolkit’ was made available through the website at www.eurecipe.com. 553 users registered to use the system to assess the energy efficiency of their plant. 35 EIE/04/153/S07.38646 RECIPE Chapter 8 Dissemination Dissemination of the project activities, progress and deliverables to a broad audience within the plastics processing was one of the most important and successful elements of RECIPE. As well as promoting the project, the dissemination programme included topics relating to reducing energy consumption in plastics processing within a broader business context, e.g. in terms of cost savings, and meeting wider environmental commitments. In total, over 300 different dissemination activities were recorded during the RECIPE project, including seminars, newsletters, project website, press releases, e-zines, posters and publications. Review and Present New Ideas The primary aim of this activity was to collate and distribute information on the latest energyreducing technologies and materials developments to the European plastics processing industry. In order to do so, a bi-annual newsletter was published which also promoted the broader aims and outcomes of the project. During RECIPE, 6 newsletters were published in both printed and electronic formats and over 5,000 copies of each issue distributed. Each issue was also made available as a download from www.eurecipe.com and users of the website were also invited to register to receive a copy. Manufacturers and suppliers of energy efficient equipment and products were invited to supply case studies and information to be included in the newsletters. Contributors included: Omron-Yaskawa (European leader in industrial speed drive manufacturing), Coolmation, Belesta, Werner Koch Maschinentechnik GmbH and Krauss Maffei. The Deliverable Six RECIPE newsletters were published, three in printed format and three electronic e-zine versions. Each newsletter was widely disseminated and distributed at exhibitions, conferences, seminars and workshops. In addition, copies were sent to organisations on 36 EIE/04/153/S07.38646 RECIPE request and to consortium partners member companies, e.g. the British Plastics Federation distributed copies to their members at group meetings. Issue 1: 5,000 printed copies Issue 2: 25,000+ electronic Issue 3: 5,000 printed copies distributed copies distributed distributed Issue 4: 25,000+ electronic Issue 5: 25,000+ electronic Issue 6: 5,000 printed copies copies distributed copies distributed distributed The Project Website The RECIPE website (www.eurecipe.com) was the most important tool in disseminating the aims and objectives of the project and reaching a wide audience. The website provides access to the project deliverables and information on reducing energy consumption in plastics processing. All the major pages of the website are available in the six project languages, French, German, Spanish, Danish, English and Italian. Users of the website are invited to register to receive further information and access all areas of the site. A target of 5,000 registrations was set at the start of the project and 2,166 users registered to access the whole site and a further 1,328 registered to only receive a copy of the Best Practice Guide (total 3,494). Registrations were received from users in 91 different countries and representing 89% of the EU-27. 37 EIE/04/153/S07.38646 RECIPE Home page of the RECIPE website (www.eurecipe.com) The Deliverable The website content was updated periodically to reflect the progress of the project. It included: Home Page A brief outline of the project Register Registration facility to receive updates on the RECIPE project and access the deliverables About RECIPE Details of the objectives, aims and partners, Energy Saving Tools Information about the Toolkit and Cost of Ownership Model Energy Managers Toolkit How to carry out ‘The Quick Check’ and ‘Energy Review’ Best Practice Guide A facility to receive a copy of ‘Low Energy Plastics Processing: A European Best Practice Guide’ Downloads Presentations, factsheets, newsletters, reports, Best Practice Guides, case studies News RECIPE press releases and other relevant articles Get Involved How to participate in RECIPE 38 EIE/04/153/S07.38646 RECIPE The website has been available throughout the lifetime of the project and will remain ‘live’ for a further two years minimum. Press Releases and Publications Dissemination through the trade press was an important element in raising the profile and disseminating the RECIPE project. Over 100 articles were published on RECIPE in approximately 85 different publications (in both electronic and printed formats). Examples of published press releases FONA (15 Aug 2005) British Plastics & Rubber BPF Annual Review (2005) (30 Jan 2007) In addition to sending press releases to trade journals for publication, an e-zine was also sent to registered users of the RECIPE website and contacts of the partners. This was a cost- 39 EIE/04/153/S07.38646 RECIPE effective and simple method of targeting a large number of companies and in particular SMES. The e-zines generally focused on one topic, e.g. the launch of a deliverable, a seminar taking place, and helped to raise the awareness of the project. Following the distribution of an e-zine it was possible to see an increase in the number of registrations to the website and downloads of the Best Practice Guide Articles on RECIPE were also included in the Intelligent Energy Executive Agency newsletter (Issue Nos. 2, 3, 4 & 5) and a project factsheet and presentation slides made available to download from the website. Seminars and Presentations In order to promote the RECIPE project and its deliverables as well as help the European plastics processing industry understand the issues of energy efficiency and reducing their consumption, the consortium organised and participated in over 15 seminars across Europe. RECIPE seminar at FAKUMA 2006, Germany RECIPE seminar at K2007, Germany 40 EIE/04/153/S07.38646 RECIPE Posters, Flyers and Dissemination Material A number of RECIPE posters were designed and printed to promote the project at exhibitions, seminars and trade fairs. Different flyers and dissemination materials were developed for the events attended by the RECIPE consortium. 41 EIE/04/153/S07.38646 RECIPE Chapter 9 Conclusions RECIPE was a three-year project to provide European plastics processors with the tools, knowledge and justification to reduce their energy consumption through the implementation of best practice and the introduction of new technologies. The project consortium has developed a number of industry specific tools, written a comprehensive and informative Best Practice Guide and carried out a successful dissemination programme, including participation in seminars, exhibitions and conferences, a bi-annual newsletter and publication of press releases in trade journals and press. ENER-Plast Following the successes of the RECIPE project, six RECIPE partners (Rapra, BPF, AIMPLAS, PEP, CRIF and Fraunhofer-ICT) and five new organisations (Tomas Bata University in Zlin, TECOS, ISQ, CARMA and CENTIMFE) developed the ENER-Plast project. ENER-Plast (EIE/07/052/SI2.466695) builds on the work of RECIPE and looks at energy efficiency throughout the whole manufacturing process, from product concept and design through to assembly and distribution. It is anticipated that RECIPE will continued to be disseminated and valorised throughout ENER-Plast, for example: The publication ‘Low Energy Plastics Processing: A European Best Practice Guide’ will be promoted to participants of ENER-Plast. The ‘Cost of Ownership Model’ will be valorised in the new project as it links closely with one of the work packages (Energy Efficient Equipment and Products) The results of the ‘2005 European Benchmarking Survey of Energy Consumption and Adoption of Best Practice’ will be used in the development of a ‘Carbon Impact Calculator’ The factsheets and information resources developed during the RECIPE project will provide additional material for the ENER-Plast ‘Information Library’ and promote the results of RECIPE well beyond the lifetime of the project. Further information on ENER-Plast can be found at www.enerplast.eu. 42 EIE/04/153/S07.38646 RECIPE Key Results A project website (www.eurecipe.com) has been established which helps with the dissemination of information on reducing the energy consumption of the plastics processing industry. The website will be available for at least another two years and its existence will be promoted during the ENER-Plast project. The RECIPE website has a high ranking on Internet search engines when looking for topics relating to energy efficiency and the plastics industry. As a result, enquiries have been received not only from EU member states but from countries such as New Zealand, Canada, United States and Argentina. The organisation ‘Plastics New Zealand’ have shown a great deal of interest in the project are looking to developing a similar programme for their industry. Over 2,000 copies of ‘Low Energy Plastics Processing: A European Best Practise Guide’ have been downloaded demonstrating that there was a need for such a publication within the industry. Over 300 different dissemination activities/events were recorded from publication of press releases in a trade journal to giving a presentation at an international event. The dissemination programme was one of the key achievements of the RECIPE project. Members of the RECIPE consortium are now asked to participate in events organised by external companies to present and discuss information on energy efficiency in the plastics processing industry. Finally, the RECIPE project has established a ‘specific energy consumption’ benchmark for European plastics processors and enables them to calculate their own energy consumption and compare themselves against the average. Conclusions There are many reasons for wanting to improve your energy efficiency, however, the most compelling reason for the plastics processing industry is that wasting energy costs money and this is reflected in the bottom line. With rising energy costs, soaring raw material prices and the impacts of climate change, the need to monitor and reduce energy consumption is more important than ever before. Energy costs continued to increase throughout the three-years of the RECIPE project and the plastics processing industry is facing immense difficulty in passing on these increases to their customers. However, the industry-specific tools, information resources and applications developed by the RECIPE project will help companies to understand and manage their 43 EIE/04/153/S07.38646 RECIPE energy consumption more efficiently and therefore saving money which in turn will help to increase their profit! It has been clear that there was a need for a project such as RECIPE specifically targeting the industry by the large numbers of website registrations and downloads of the Best Practice Guide and Energy Managers Toolkit. The resources will be made available through www.eurecipe.com for a minimum of two more years and enhanced by the resources during the ENER-Plast project. 44
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